Increased expectations for linear motion products industry, robotics

IMS Research reports that Foxconn's intentions to increase industrial robots in Chinese factories up to 1 million by 2013 is expected to provide an immediate boost for manufacturers in industrial automation.

09/22/2011

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Recent news that Foxconn plans to increase automation in the company’s Chinese factories has increased expectations of the market for linear motion products and linear and torque motors. These are important components and sub-assemblies in machinery used in electronics production, and are widely used in automated industrial machinery in general.

Two recently published reports by IMS Research found that the electronics machinery sector accounted for nearly 9% of the linear and torque motor market and over 6% of the linear motion market in 2010.

Foxconn’s intended increase in the number of industrial robots in its Chinese factories, from 10,000 currently, to 300,000 in 2012 and 1 million by 2013, will provide an immediate boost to manufacturers of industrial automation machinery. It is also an indicator of a wider trend.

According to The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the hourly compensation costs in manufacturing for China increased from US $0.62 in 2003 to US $1.36 in 2008. Estimates indicate the hourly rate reached US $1.98 per hour in 2010. In February 2011 it was reported that Wuhan, capital city of Hubei province China, held eight job fairs in one day. More than 80% of enterprises in Wuhan have raised salaries to attract workers. It is expected that as labor costs increase in China, investments in automated machinery will also increase.

Increases in factory automation in Chinese factories in all industry sectors, will drive growth in the world market for linear motion products and for linear and torque motors for many years to come. The World Market for Linear Motion Products considers in detail how this and other trends will affect the development of this market up to 2015.

Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) represent the logic (decision) part of the control loop of sense, decide, and actuate. Featured articles in this digital report compare PLCs and programmable automation controllers (PACs), industrial PCs, and robotic controllers.

Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) represent the logic (decision) part of the control loop of sense, decide, and actuate. Featured articles in this digital report compare PLCs and programmable automation controllers (PACs), industrial PCs, and robotic controllers.

Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) represent the logic (decision) part of the control loop of sense, decide, and actuate. Featured articles in this digital report compare PLCs and programmable automation controllers (PACs), industrial PCs, and robotic controllers.